2018-2019

Summer Reading Projects

All students and teachers will read at least one book from the book list below. After reading the book, students will complete one project (see choices and rubric on page 4). Remember that all pro-jects include a writing component.

During the first week of school student and teachers will meet in book groups to discuss the book and share student projects. Discus-sion groups give both students and teachers the chance to connect to the literature by sharing their reactions, questions, and insights. Sum-mer reading counts as a significant grade for English class.

All books are available at Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Amazon.com. Most titles are also available at the Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Emily at belle@leonschools.net.

Per School Board Policy 2240, Leon County Schools recognizes that certain instructional materials may conflict with a student's or parent's value system. In such cases, a parent may request in writing an alter-native Summer Reading Assignment. Please direct inquiries to Emily Bell at belle@leonschools.net

1. What surprised or intrigued you about the book? How did this keep you involved/interested in the book?

2. What did you like/dislike about the book?

3. What is one of your favorite parts of the book and why is it your favorite? Be Specific!

4. What dialogue and/or descriptions exemplified the author’s style as it relates to setting, theme, or characterization?

5. Compare an experience you have had to the experience of one of the characters in the book. Use details from both the story and your own experiences in the comparison.

6. What would you have done in the main character’s place?

7. Choose one character from the book. What influenced or inspired the character to act the way he/she did or say what he/she said?

Summer

Reading counts as a significant

grade for your English Class.

Be prepared to answer the following types

of questions in your discussion group:

2018-2019 Summer Reading Choices Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson Non-fiction The essential universe: What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astro-

physicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cos-mos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly in tasty chapters consumable anytime

and anywhere in your busy day. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller Non-fiction Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a gripping portrait of a woman and a town emerges. With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings—and, yes, images from the murder scene—readers will devour this nonfiction book that reads like fiction. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah Non-fiction Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s apartheid rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs Non-fiction In what has become a landmark of American history and literature, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl recounts the incredible but true story of Harriet Jacobs, born a slave in North Carolina in 1813. As a child, Harriet Jacobs remained blissfully unaware that she was a slave until the deaths of both her mother and a benevolent mistress exposed her to a sexually predatory master, Dr. Flint. Determined to escape, she spends seven years hidden away in a garret in her grandmother’s house, three feet high at its tallest point, with almost no air or light, and with only glimpses of her children to sustain her courage. On Writing by Stephen King Non-fiction By the author of It and Carrie. Par t memoir , par t master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextri-cable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist Non-fiction Embarrassingly, A Memoir: When I was twenty-five years old, it came to my attention that I had never had a girlfriend. At the time, I was actually under the impression that I was in a relationship, so this bit of news came as something of a shock. Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down each of the girls he had tried to date since middle school and asked them straight up: What went wrong? The results of Josh's semi-scientific investigation are in your hands. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), and a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love—or at least a girlfriend—in all the wrong places.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Fiction Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy

suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. What every-

one wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Fiction Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide (“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstel-lar hitchhiker can have”) and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy and Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically de-pressed robot.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Fiction Written in Poetry. This fiercely stunning novel takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. See, his brother Shawn was just mur-dered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? The whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows.

Pride and Prejudice Fiction Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's classic novel of manners and mores in early-nineteenth-century England. As the Bennets’ prepare their five grown daughters to enter into society, each shows personality traits that illuminate

their future prospects as wives. Jane, the oldest, is the most demure and traditional, and Lydia, the youngest, the most headstrong and impulsive. Attention centers on haughty second-born Elizabeth, and her blossoming relation-

ship with the dashing but aloof Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown Fiction They call him father, liberator, warlord, Slave King, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-third of his life. A decade ago Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Ris-ing has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk all he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green Fiction Author of The Fault in Our Stars. Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billion-aire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred thousand dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student,

and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

5. Quilt Square, Batik, Needlework

As you read the book, think about the important images that are revealed. Design a piece that incorporates these images and reflects the story. The piece should measure at least 9 x 9 inch-es. In a paragraph explain why you chose the image and include at least 5 quotations that influenced the "picture".

6. Painting

As you read a book, you may form pictures in your mind of the setting, a character, or perhaps a recurring symbol. Paint this representation; the work should measure at least 8 x 11 inches. In a paragraph explain the reasons for your choice and include 5 quotations that give insight into the character's personality or description of scenes, etc.

7. Group Project ‐ Bringing Books to Life

As you read the book, make note of passages that can be dram-atized in order to bring the story to life for others. The total performance should be at least 5 minutes and may be filmed or performed live. Each group member must choose at least 5 quotations from the book and in a paragraph show how these influenced the project. Make sure each group mem-ber can document their work; each member must submit an original paragraph.

8. Group Project ‐ Video Book Review

As a book publicist, design and produce a commercial to “sell” the book and hook readers. The video should be at least 5 minutes long. Review the book, explaining the novel's strengths as well as your own recommendations. Be sure to explain what type of reader will enjoy this book and why. Each group member must choose at least 5 quotations from the book and in a paragraph explain their significance and how these passages affected the review. their work; each mem-ber must submit an original paragraph.

1. Book Review

Look at newspapers for examples, and write a review of your book. Include at least 5 paragraphs that explain the novel's strengths regard-ing plot, theme, characters, setting, etc. Be sure to explain what type of reader will enjoy this book and why. In your paper include at least 5 significant quotations from the book and explain how these impacted your review.

2. Character Letters

Examine two characters from the book, and write four letters total (at least 1 letter per character) from the viewpoint of the characters. Let-ters should be at least one page and should be in a letter format in-cluding greeting, body and salutation. You are encouraged to include photos, drawings or other accompanying materials. In a paragraph include an explanation as to why you chose the characters. In-clude at least 5 quotations from the book, and show how these influenced your letters.

3. Original Play

Continue the story line or show interactions between characters out-side the story. Write a script including dialogue, stage directions, scenery, and any necessary commentary in proper format. In a para-graph explain why you have chosen to write the scene, include at least 5 quotations from the book, and show how these influ-enced your play/scene.

4. Alternative Ending

How many times have you wished you could rewrite the ending of a book? Here's your chance to tie up all of the loose ends and resolve the story in a way you like. Write at least five paragraphs to retell the ending and include at least 5 specific references to quota-tions that influenced your new ending.

Summer Reading Rubric

Project Guidelines

Understanding of the Text

4 points

The writing reflects thorough understanding of complex ideas and concepts in the text.

3 points

The writing reflects understanding of the text beyond just the recall of facts.

2 points

The writing reflects a basic understanding of the text.

1 point

The writing reflects limited understanding of the text; there is little evidence that the text was read.

Mechanics of Writing

The writing reflects

appropriate spelling, gram-mar, punctuation, and sen-tence formation.

The writing has few spelling, grammar, punc-tuation, or sentence for-mation errors which do not interfere with com-prehension.

The writing has many spelling, grammar, punctuation, or sen-tence formation errors. The errors interfere with compre-hension.

The writing reflects minimal control of spelling, grammar, punc-tuation, and/or sentence formation. It is difficult to read.

Writing/Art/

Video

Writing

The writing reflects care-ful attention to detail and effort, and guidelines were completely followed.

The writing reflects some attention to detail and effort, and guide-lines were followed.

The writing reflects minimal attention to detail and effort, and guidelines were not fol-lowed.

The writing reflects poor effort, and the guide-lines were not followed.

Group Dis-cussion

The student participates and his/her contribution to the discussion reflects a thorough understanding of the concepts and themes of the novel.

The student participates and his/her contribution to the discussion re-flects an understanding of the text beyond just

the recall of facts.

The student participates and his/her contribution to the discussion reflects a basic understanding of the text.

The student does not participate or his/her contribution reflects a limited understanding of the text; there is little evidence that the text was even read.